“All you do is work. You look at all the literature, sit with teams, talk about your history, how you got to this point, analyse yourself, why you want help and speak to the medical team.

“It was very hard not speaking to anyone because you worry if they’re doing all right.”

But Ant, 41, was allowed one visitor — his beloved labrador Hurley.

With tears welling up in his eyes, he says: “They allowed him to come into rehab after I’d done a month working with the team. I missed him so much.

Xposure

Ant managed to wangle a visit from his beloved dog Hurley during his time in rehab

“It was decided not to see your spouse because you’re not meant to. But I made quite an impassioned plea to get my dog in.

“He stayed over for a couple of nights and lifted everybody’s spirits. The following month was more plain sailing after that.”

Just two months since starting rehab, Ant is a transformed man having dropped weight after a complete reinvention.

“I even do yoga now,” he says, laughing and shaking his head in disbelief.

“I’ve got my own yoga mat now. Christ, I’ve changed.”

He adds: “I eat well. I’ve lost a stone. I can now do non-weight bearing stuff with my legs, like pilates, weights, lots of yoga, bike and stretching.

“I’m off everything now. Just your basic paracetamol and coping with the pain. I’m still in pain but managing it a lot better.”

He is very proud of the fact he is now down to one crutch which he is decorated in the colours of his beloved Newcastle United.

RIVERDANCE STARTED AGONY

ANT blames his struggles with drugs and depression on a knee injury sustained while Irish dancing.

He says: “Three years ago we were doing Saturday Night Takeaway on Tour. We ended the first half every night with Riverdance. Dec’s a lot better at it than me. Little s***!

“I’d played football and golf and the knee had started creaking.

“But the dance did the damage. The meniscus had torn. I had to go in for a routine operation. I came out and was still in pain days, weeks and months after. They injected steroids but nothing helped it. That was the start of the prescribed painkillers.

“They get rid of it then you get on with life and work.”

Ant would wear a brace and take it off to host Britain’s Got Talent. He adds: “The leg was in constant pain during the show.”

Docs then discovered he’d been walking with a hairline fracture for months. Ant adds: “It was missed in the first op. I also went back to work too early and made it worse.”

Last year Ant switched to an NHS hospital in Newcastle.

He says: “The NHS were brilliant. But the fracture had turned into a 2cm hole in the bone.

“We looked at scans and the docs said, ‘You’re a 41-year-old man but it looks like the knee of a 60-year-old.’

He says: “Rob’s been amazing. He emailed on day two and we’ve been in touch throughout. I’ve known him for years – he’s been there. I’ve known him pre and post addiction. He was really insightful in his notes to me.”